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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25787791">Little Talks</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/izzybelledot/pseuds/izzybelledot'>izzybelledot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Marinette Wayne [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DCU, Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Conversations, Cookies, Coping, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Drabble, Insomnia, Late Night Conversations, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Happiness, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Lives in Gotham City, Other, Sleep Deprived Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Stress Baking, Vigilante Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, idk just take this., well soon anyways</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:40:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,335</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25787791</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/izzybelledot/pseuds/izzybelledot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Damiam finds Marinette stress baking at three am. </p><p>Awkward conversations ensue.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Damian Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Marinette Wayne [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868017</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>375</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Little Talks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Bold of you to assume I have any self-preservation.”</p><p> </p><p>Damian suppressed a groan, glaring at Dupain-Cheng from where she stood in the manor’s kitchen. Well, Wayne now. That would have been fine since stress baking was not as bad a coping mechanism as some of the other ones in his family. But this was the seventh night he had found her like this…in a row.</p><p>“Go to sleep, Wayne.”</p><p>“Marinette,” She corrected him automatically, as she very pointedly did not turn away from mixing. She looked exhausted, with eyeliner smudged on her cheek and too large purple pajama pants dragging along the floor. </p><p>“Wayne,” He pressed on, growing more and more impatient. “You have no reason to be up at such an hour. And you-“</p><p>“What if I let you have cookies?”</p><p>Damian paused, trying to discern if she was serious or not. “Cookies?”</p><p>She nodded, setting the bowl on the counter and opening the bag of chocolate chips. “I can’t eat them all myself now can I?”</p><p>He was at an impasse now. Giving up would be a blow to his pride, and would likely further convince Marinette that she could ignore him. But... Marinette rarely made them cookies anymore, they always resulted in fights between his siblings. And her cookies were <em> so good. <em></em></em></p><p>
  <em>
    <em>There was never really an option was there?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Fine. Tt, but you must tell me why you are awake at such an hour so consistently.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>She considered him for a moment before giving him a smile. She turned away from him to place the cookies in the oven and set a timer before sitting at the kitchen table. “Alright, but I really don't see the point. Tim stays up as late as me, and you don’t rag on him about it.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“That is because Drake hides when I try, and I only try because I do not want you two slacking off during patrol.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Marinette rolled her eyes at him, appearing entirely unconvinced. Which was foolish of her, because that was the reason. “Sure, Dames. That's also why you hid all the whiskey from Jason last week and bullied Dick into stopping his latest villain hyper fixation.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“He was exhausting himself nonsensically,” Damian retorted. “And you haven’t answered my question.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Marinette pouted to herself, playing with the sleeves of her jacket. “It’s not a big deal. I just couldn’t sleep.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Why not?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I don’t know. My body’s tired, but my mind’s too awake to even try to sleep.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Damian considered Marinette again, looking more carefully. She looked exhausted as before, her frame drooping and her eyes blinking sluggishly. But it was true that she still was as fidgety as when she was awake. Her eyes shifting side to side, and she played with something and tapped her feet silently. It was the sort of thing you noticed the more you were around her. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“That sounds exhausting, Wayne.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Marinette sighed, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms loosely. “It is, honestly. But trying to sleep makes it worse because I get an itch and I want to move and think and design, but sitting up is just too much work. It’s like having an idea that you love, but knowing you’ll forget it within seconds.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Damian could relate to Marinette’s situation, which was a rare occurrence. He was an artist after all, though he usually preferred to draw stagnant models. “I am sorry for your frustrations, Wayne. Does this happen terribly often?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Occasionally,” Marinette shrugged lightly. “But it can last for a couple of days to a month at most.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>They stayed quiet for a while after that, but he noticed that Marinette seemed more relaxed then he’d truly seen her in his presence. Studying her for a moment longer he realized she looked similar to how she had looked after they found her on the couch with Drake. He had refused to divulge what they had discussed, but it had obviously started to help her. Maybe he could… help?</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Do you,” He paused, unsure why he was trying to make conversation, or for what. “Do you find the manor accommodating?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Marinette smiled, bowing her head slightly in a sign of thanks. “Yeah, overly so. And I’m liking it much more than I thought, Dami.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I didn’t ask.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Uh-huh,” She chuckled. "I don't know how your siblings don't see your blatant worry."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Damian didn’t shift his weight against the wall, instead, he looked at the timer above the oven. It was nearly time then he could just grab his prize and head back to his room. He didn’t know why he’d bothered in the first place; he could always just knock her out after all. After the cookies were done of course.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"Adopted siblings," He sniffed. "And I'm only keeping track of them to ensure they're at their peak performance for missions. I expect that Bruce will eventually ask you to join us on patrols."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>She sighed, standing again to turn on the coffee pot. "You think he would? I don't know."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"Wouldn't you want to?"</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"Yeah, it would defiantly make me feel better. But I don't know if Ladybug being here is a good idea. Want tea?"</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Damian considered her as he nodded his assent. "Why so?"</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"Ladybug was last seen in Paris, and as far as they know she was retired. Plus, she wouldn't fit in here."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Damian noted the way she referred to her old persona. A coping mechanism most likely, since by now everyone knew that the Paris situation had evidently been extremely traumatizing. She never really went into detail, though he knew she had confided in Tim and Alfred once or twice. In her brief explanations, she had mentioned akumas which could raise the dead, melt flesh, and drown entire cities. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"Why would she not?"</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Marinette didn't reply right away, shifting anxiously as the coffee pot and kettle hummed on. "I mean, she wears bright red. And a yo-yo isn't the most conventional weapon in a gunfight. I mean, I couldn't bring her here."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"Alright."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"And I don't know, I don't know why it matters so- wait what?"</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Damian noted her surprise with vaguely concealed amusement. Her reactions were mildly entertaining and fairly effortless to evoke. "You don't have to have a reason for this, Marinette. Consider it healing if you wish, you could always use one of the other miraculous or create your own ordinary costume."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>She considered his words carefully. "I guess that makes sense. Thanks, Dami. It would actually be perfect to use the Fox. Or maybe the Bee?"</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The cookie timer went off and she went to take them out, though she giggled to herself along the way. That only made him slightly uneasy. "What are you going on about?"</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Marinette annoyingly enough did not stop her blatant glee. Only fanning the treats with that insufferable grin being thrown over her shoulder. "You called me by my name, Dami."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"That is ridiculous, I would never do such a thing, Wayne," Damian scowled. He turned away pointedly as he waited for her to get over her brief delusions. Marinette was obnoxiously sentimental and gentle when comfortable, and he did not encourage such behavior. She was far more interesting when she was fighting against Jason or besting Tim and Dick with those video games, she had brought from France. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"Well, here's your cookies and tea."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>He turned to find said tea mug and three cookies wrapped in a napkin on the counter. Marinette had her own cookie placed before her on the counter as she pulled her sketchbook towards her. Damian grabbed the mug and treats and gave her an awkward nod. "Thank you, Marinette."</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>"Course, Dami," She replied absently as she continued on. Damian continued out of the room, only pausing once to glance at the clock, nearly four am, and she evidently was set up to stay up the remainder of the night. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>He would have to tell Grayson it seemed. That would show her not to ignore him.</em>
  </em>
</p>
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